The Broad Arrow

One of the oldest symbols of Government and/or Ordnance is the mark of the ‘Broad Arrow’.

Although not as common as it once was, the Broad Arrow is still in use in the Australian Army and is used to identify Defence owned property. It has now been embellished by adding two capital letter ‘D's’ (for the Department of Defence) to the broad arrow. In the past, there were occasions where the use of the two capital letters ‘WD’ either side of the arrow to for War Department.

The history of this mark has its origins linked to the Ordnance Service of the Britain, the Government Commissaries, Colonial Storekeepers, Military Stores Departments and Ordnance Stores Corps both in England and in the Australian Colonies. The mark of the Broad Arrow was also adopted by the Australian Army Ordnance Department at the beginning of the 20th Century, and the mark is still used today.